Sweet Cherry Jam
I love jam. On toast. In marinades for ribs and glazes for chicken. Warmed up and drizzled over vanilla ice cream. This sweet cherry jam is a fabulous way to enjoy cherries as they come into season. Because this jam has a lot of sugar, I never bother canning it. It will keep just fine in the fridge for a few weeks—if it lasts that long.
Classic Cucumber Salad
I remember versions of this from summer picnics when I was a little mouse. It’s one of the first things I love to make when the winter weather starts to break. This salad is a cool and classic combination of sour cream and dill. To prepare it, you soak the cuke slices in a little [...]
Open-Faced Avocado Sandwich
If butter were a vegetable, it’d be an avocado. (It’s no wonder I love these little green guys so much.) This sandwich is one of my guilty pleasures. It’s a great, no-hassle lunch or dinner in a pinch. I mean, let’s face it: Sometimes, you just don’t feel like cooking.
Warm & Smokey Asparagus Salad
Fresh asparagus is one of my favorite signs of spring. This salad is a fabulous, no fuss way to enjoy it. Whip it up when you start cooking dinner, then let the flavors happily meld together while you finish preparing the rest of your meal. Asparagus and bacon are a match made in heaven. For [...]
Tangy Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dip
Packed with sour cream, buttermilk, and blue cheese, this dip is a perfect creamy companion for spicy, hot wings or a crunchy, cold crudite platter. I served this as one of the sides for my Crispy Sesame Chicken Nibbles at our recent Fight Night Feast. It’s thick, satisfying and just a bit packs a lot [...]
Dueling Wings, Part 1: Lemon Buttermilk Fried Chicken
The other day, I bought a huge package of beautiful, meaty whole chicken wings. I couldn’t decide on a single recipe, so I divided the chicken in half and whipped up two different marinades. I let each batch soak overnight. Chicken wing battle, GO! On the white plate in golden brown, our first contender: Lemon [...]
Mid-Autumn Meat Feast at The House of the Hungry Mouse
The other night, The Angry Chef and I had a good old friend over for dinner. We hadn’t seen him in quite a while, and it was so lovely to catch up. He brought a great bottle of sweet white wine and some fantastic port. We made dinner, which I’m realizing now turned into a [...]
Celebrating Halloween in Salem, Mass. (a.k.a. Witch City)
With Halloween right around the corner, Salem, Massachusetts is THE place around Boston to get your spooky on. We spent last night up there, eating and drinking well into the early morning hours with a handful of close friends. Welcome to Salem, Mass., a.k.a. Witch City Salem is old. You can feel it the minute [...]
Rib of the Week: Herb Encrusted Lamb Ribs
I know I’ve been fairly rib-heavy with my recipes lately. I can’t help myself. I base a lot of what I cook on what looks good that day at the market. And when I saw these lamb ribs at the butcher, I couldn’t resist. First, the meat was temptingly rosy and shot through with thin [...]
Sweet & Sunny Lemon Drop Liquor
Apparently, this weekend is cocktail weekend. Contrary to yesterday’s Bee’s Kiss, though, my Lemon Drop liquor is light and refreshing. It’s a great late-summer-lazy-day-sitting-in-the-yard-waiting-for-the-barbecue-to-be-done kind of drink. If you start a bottle early this week, it’ll be ready in plenty of time for your Labor Day festivities. I love lemonade, so I guess it’s no [...]
